Updated guidelines for stroke rehabilitation, developed jointly by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Department of Defense, have been published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
These guidelines offer a comprehensive approach to managing stroke recovery, emphasizing both inpatient and outpatient care.
The recommendations aim to address key areas of stroke rehabilitation, particularly those most relevant to primary care.
The guideline development team, led by Dr. Blessen C. Eapen from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, created 47 recommendations and a detailed algorithm for stroke rehabilitation.
These focus on critical aspects such as transitioning patients to the community, motor therapy, swallowing and speech difficulties (dysphagia and aphasia), cognitive challenges, and mental health.
One major recommendation is to provide case management services at the time of discharge. This approach can improve patients’ ability to perform daily activities and increase their independence. The guidelines also emphasize task-specific practices, such as targeted exercises, to enhance motor skills, gait, posture, and overall functional abilities.
To address the psychological and emotional impact of stroke, the guidelines recommend interventions for managing depression in both patients and caregivers. Psychosocial education can help improve family relationships, patient independence, and overall quality of life.
For depression, treatments such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), psychotherapy, or mindfulness-based therapies are suggested.
The recommendations also highlight specific therapies to aid physical recovery. For example, mirror therapy and neuromuscular electrical stimulation can improve motor outcomes. For patients with spasticity, botulinum toxin injections are recommended.
The authors emphasize that successful stroke rehabilitation requires an interdisciplinary and holistic approach. This involves not only medical professionals but also patients and caregivers as active participants in the recovery process.
By working together, the team can address the wide range of challenges that stroke survivors face, including physical, emotional, and cognitive difficulties.
These guidelines underscore the importance of tailored rehabilitation plans that consider the individual needs of stroke survivors.
They also highlight the role of mental health support and family involvement in improving outcomes. With this comprehensive approach, the goal is to enhance patients’ quality of life and help them regain as much independence as possible.
If you care about stroke, please read studies that diets high in flavonoids could help reduce stroke risk, and MIND diet could slow down cognitive decline after stroke.
For more health information, please see recent studies about antioxidants that could help reduce the risk of dementia, and tea and coffee may help lower your risk of stroke, dementia.
The research findings can be found in Annals of Internal Medicine.
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